Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s disease.
Population prevalence of Parkinson’s disease increases from about 1% at age 60 to 4% by age 80. Early symptoms include tremors, rigidity, and difficulty walking; cognitive decline is common at later stages.
In a study from La Jolla Institute for Immunology, scientists found that people with Parkinson’s disease have a clear “genetic signature” of the disease in their memory T cells.
The scientists hope that targeting these genes may open the door to new Parkinson’s treatments and diagnostics.
Parkinson’s progress as dopamine-producing neurons in the brain die.
Unfortunately, scientists have been unable to pinpoint what causes this cell death—though they do have a clue: The doomed neurons contain clumps of a damaged protein called alpha-synuclein.
Research suggests these clumps may be the kiss of death for dopamine-producing neurons.
The team recently showed that people with Parkinson’s have T cells that target alpha-synuclein early on in Parkinson’s disease.
Self-reactive T cells can damage the body’s own cells, including neurons. In fact, self-reactive T cells are the culprits behind many autoimmune diseases.
The new study offers a way to stop these T cells in their tracks. The LJI team found that people with Parkinson’s disease have memory T cells with a very specific gene signature.
These genes appear responsible for targeting alpha-synuclein and potentially causing ongoing inflammation in cases of Parkinson’s.
The team says identifying these genes will make it possible to see which patients have T cells that respond to alpha-synuclein and which do not.
One important gene expressed in these T cells is LRRK2. This gene is associated with the genetic, or familial, type of Parkinson’s disease.
Neurons in many people with Parkinson’s express LRRK2, but the new study is the first to show this gene expressed in T cells.
But many of the genes expressed in these T cells were completely unexpected and not previously linked to Parkinson’s disease. This finding suggests scientists found novel targets for potential therapeutics.
If you care about Parkinson’s disease, please read studies about a better way to treat Parkinson’s disease, and Vitamin E may help prevent Parkinson’s disease.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies that Parkinson’s disease is on your skin, and results showing flavonoid-rich foods could improve survival in Parkinson’s disease.
The study was conducted by Cecilia Lindestam Arlehamn et al and published in npj Parkinson’s Disease.
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